Vayu

The God of Wind and the Breath of Life

Domain: Wind, Air & Vitality
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Element: Air
Relics of Power: Banner of the Winds

Speak with Vayu

The full Codex

5 sections of this entry are open to everyone: the summary, the people, the symbols, the lineage and the sources. The other 9 (Name and epithets, In the ancient sources, The myths, Worship and archaeology, How the god was depicted, What scholars debate, After antiquity, Did you know?, Codex relic) are part of the full Codex: PRO opens the whole study of all 500 deities, and without a subscription you can read one full entry a day, just like in the app.

See PRO Get the app

The People

People

Hindu peoples

Region

Indian subcontinent

Period

c. 1500 BC – present

The Hindu deities have been worshipped for over three thousand years across the Indian subcontinent, from the Vedic hymns to the living Hinduism of today. Billions of devotees dedicate to them temples, festivals such as Diwali and Holi, and daily rituals in the home. It is one of the largest religious traditions still practiced in the world.

Diwali lights up India with oil lamps in honor of Lakshmi, and Holi celebrates spring with clouds of colored powder. At the Kumbh Mela, the largest pilgrimage on Earth, tens of millions bathe in the sacred rivers, and daily puja brings flowers, incense, and food to the altars.

At a glance

Vayu is the impetuous and benevolent Vedic god of the winds, of the atmosphere, and of the primordial vital breath, Prana. He crosses the firmament in his golden chariot, drawn by thousands of red steeds, carrying oxygen and consciousness to every living being. As the biological and spiritual father of the warrior Bhima and of the devoted hero Hanuman, he embodies physical strength and unwavering loyalty. Foremost among the five cosmic elements (‘Pancha Mahabhuta’), Vayu personifies the vital air that fills the intermediate space, Antariksha, and sustains the breath of all living beings through the five vital breaths of Prana.

15 min read · Reviewed on September 28, 2026 · How we research

Sacred symbols

The banner, the antelope, the winds and the vital breath

Family

Vayu

Unions

Bharati

Children

HanumanBhima

Genealogy according to Rigveda 1.134.1-6; 10.168.1-4; Shatapatha Brahmana 6.1.2.19; Mahabharata, Adi Parva 1.123

Sources and further reading

Primary sources

Anônimo, Rigveda. translation: Stephanie W. Jamison e Joel P. Brereton, 2014.
Anônimo, Prashna Upanishad. translation: Patrick Olivelle, 1996.
Vyasa, Mahabharata. translation: Kisari Mohan Ganguli, 1896.
Agnivesha, Charaka Samhita. translation: Ram Karan Sharma e Vaidya Bhagwan Dash, 1976.

Studies

Arthur Anthony Macdonell, Vedic Mythology. Karl J. Trübner, 1897.
Jan Gonda, The Dual Deities in the Religion of the Veda. North-Holland Publishing Company, 1974.
B. N. K. Sharma, History of the Dvaita School of Vedanta and Its Literature. Motilal Banarsidass, 1960.
Helmuth von Glasenapp, Madhva's Philosophie des Vishnu-Glaubens. Gebrüder Schroeder, 1923.

Name and epithets

The Sanskrit theonym Vayu derives from the verbal root va, meaning to blow, to flow freely, to move swiftly, or to breathe.

In the ancient sources

Rigveda, 12th century BCE.. Famous hymn praising the thundering chariot of the wind that rides along the celestial paths. Rigveda, 12th century BCE..

The myths

The Battle against Mount Meru and the Formation of Lanka.. Urged by the sage Narada to test his colossal strength, the god Vayu unleashed cyclonic winds against the sacred Mount Meru.

Worship and archaeology

In the Vedic liturgies of the Shrauta ritual, Vayu receives immediate prayers at dawn beside the ceremonial fire. He is acclaimed as the first to taste Soma because of his transcendental speed and celestial readiness.

How the god was depicted

Traditional iconography presents Vayu with a light bluish or golden complexion, riding a swift antelope with curved horns.

What scholars debate

The Conceptual Distinction between Vayu and Vata in the Rigveda.. Specialists in Vedic philology analyze the conceptual separation between the two classical designations of the wind.

After antiquity

The figure of Vayu has exerted a lasting impact on the health and spiritual practices of the traditional medicine of Ayurveda.

Did you know?

In the temple of Srikalahasti, the flame of the inner sanctuary flickers continuously even in a fully sealed chamber without windows.

Codex relic

Banner of the Winds. A banner that commands the air currents and the prana, the vital breath of all beings.

The rest of this scroll is sealed

The legends, the myth, the cult and relics are part of the full Codex. You can open 1 full entry for free every day; to open all 500 deities with no limits and no ads, subscribe to Codex PRO.

See Codex PRO Get it on Google Play